TCS: Vacation with electric car - is it possible? 🎥
GOOD PLANNING IS EVERYTHING Going on vacation to the sea in the summer by car. These are the vacation plans of many Swiss. But is that also possible with one of the increasingly popular purely electrically powered cars? The video shows that the time spent charging the car can be very pleasant. The Touring Club of Switzerland [...]
That with the time in which the car is charged, can spend very pleasant, shows the video.
The Touring Club of Switzerland conducted a test and drove various electric cars to the Côte d'Azur (1715 kilometers) and Tuscany (1512 kilometers). The test showed that it is also possible to drive electrically in Italy and France, as long as you are well prepared.
Close-knit charging network in Italy
There are still hardly any providers on the market that have a dense network of charging stations both in Switzerland and in southern Italy. Therefore, an alternative had to be found for the trip to Italy.
TCS chose the provider Nextcharge. Although Nextcharge does not have its own charging stations, it has partner agreements with several providers, resulting in a tightly meshed charging network. In addition, the Nextcharge app can be set to German.
When planning the itinerary to Tuscany, we noticed that there are no fast-charging stations at Italian freeway service stations and that you have to leave the freeway and pass through toll booths to charge.
Sufficient charging stations in France
In the south of France, too, an alternative had to be sought due to the lack of partner contracts from Swiss charging providers. With Chargemap, a provider was chosen that also does not have its own charging stations, but thanks to partner contracts offers a very dense network of charging stations.
The charging card costs a one-time fee of 20 euros and is delivered about a week after ordering. Unlike the Italian model with a credit to be paid in advance on the app, payment here is made retroactively by invoice. The advantage in France is that the fast-charging stations are installed at rest stops and there is no need to leave the highway.
Important points for travel planning
The test has shown that the vacation trip with the electric car is quite possible. However, it is definitely worth planning the trip. The 35 to 50-minute charging stops can be optimally planned and combined with shopping or sightseeing.
Concerns about an insufficient charging station network have not materialized. The charging infrastructure in Italy and France is in place. Currently, they benefit from the fact that there are not many electric cars on the road and most charging stations are (still) free.
Tips for a sensible charging process
Since the charging stations from Swiss providers are mainly well represented in Germany, Austria and Switzerland thanks to partner agreements, you need another provider in the southern countries. This is because charging with third-party operators should be avoided, as very high charging costs can otherwise be incurred.
A charging stop should be made at the latest when the range reaches 20 percent. The 20 percent serve as a reserve for driving to the next fast charging station if the charging process does not work at the first station. Since the charging process from 20 to 80 percent takes about the same amount of time as from 80 to 100 percent, it is more time-efficient to charge the battery only up to 80 percent.
